VALKKUNACK^. 



VALVE. 



unfolds itself in Uie form of a feathery pappus, which U seated on the 

 inferior ovary; the corolla is iufundibulifuriu, gibbous at the base, 

 and 5-clefl ; the sUmeus are 3, and the fruit U indehiscent, 1 -celled, 

 and 1 -seeded. This geuu preaeots many diversities of form, although 

 iu species are obvioiislj closely related. 



l r . ofcinala, the Officinal or Great Wild Valerian, is a smooth erect 

 plant, with furrowed stems, with all the leaves pinnated, the leaflets 

 being serrated and lanceolate, in 7 or 8 pairs, with an odd one ; the 

 inflorescence U at first a corymb, but by growth becomes a panicle; 

 the fruit is glabrous. This plant is a native of Europe, and by the 

 sides of riven and in ditches and moist woods is abundant in Great 

 Britain. This plant was introduced into medicine, and admitted into 

 the Pharmacopoeia, on account of its being supposed to be the Phu (*oO 

 of Dioscurides). The V. Phu of Linurcus was afterwards supposed to 

 be the genuine Phu, but Dr. Sibthorp discovered another species of 

 Valerian in Greece, which Smith has named V. Diotcondii, and which 

 is probably the plant of Dioscorides. The root has a very strong 

 smell, which is dependent on a volatile oil. It is very attractive to 

 cats, and also to rats, and is employed by rat-catchers to deooy rats. 

 It is much employed also in medicine at the present day. [ VALEIIIAX, 

 in Ann AKI> Sc. Div.] 



1'. rubra, the Hed Valerian, is often referred to the genus Ccntran- 

 Hut. [CEHTRAKTHUS.] 



r. tlioica, the Small Marsh Valerian, is a glabrous erect plant, with 

 a striated stem ; the radical leaves ovate, undivided ; those of the stern 

 pinnatifid, with linear oblong leaflets ; the stamens and pistils are on 

 separate flowers in different plauts, the corymbs of Btaminiferous 

 flowers are loose, those of pUtilliferoua flowers are contracted ; the 

 lobes of the stigma are almost united; the fruit is smooth. This 

 plant is a deciduous herbaceous perennial, very commou in moist 

 meadows, by the sides of rivers, aud iu ditches, throughout Europe. 

 It is abundant in some parts of Great Britain. 



Talrriana ilioica. 



1, cutting, with pl.tlUifcroiu flowen; 2, ditto, with Uminiferom flowera; 

 9, ttttton or pUtlllirrrou* (lower with fertile cell ; 4, section of lUmlniferoui 

 flower ; i, Mctton or tterile cell ; 6, fruit with permanent rc-atherr calyx. 



F. DioKoriflit. the ancient Grecian Valerian, was fint described by 

 Smith, in the ' Flora Gncca,' Dr. Sibthorp having discovered it near 

 the river Limyrus in Lycia, Profeator Edward Forbes, in his travels 

 in Lycia, met with this plant in great abundance over a Urge district 



>'. /'AH. the Garden Valerian, is an erect glabroui plant with square 

 smooth stm* ; the root-leaves entire, oblong or elliptic ; those of the 

 stem pinnatifid, with oblong lobes ; the corymbs psnicled ; lobes of the 

 stigma 3 ; fruit smooth, except in two hairy lines. This plant is a native 

 of Kurope, in ttelgiuni. France, Switzerland, Silesia, Ac. [CKNTRAHTHUS.] 



VALEKIANA'CrwK, Vnltrian Wurli, a natural order of Exogenous 

 PlanU, belonging to Lindley's Aigregose group of HonopeUlous Exo- 

 gvns. The order is composed of annual or perennial herbs or under- 

 shrubs with opposite exstipulate leaves. All the perennial species 

 have roots more or ten strongly scented; the annual are mostly 

 inodorous. The flowers are either corymbose, panicled, or in heads, 

 sometimes changing from one form into the other ; the calyx is supe- 

 rior, the limb either membranous or forming a feathery pappus ; the 

 corolla is tubular, 3-6-lobed, regular or irregular, and sometimes 

 sparred at the base ; the stamens vary in number from 1 to 5, and are 

 inserted into the tube of the corolla alternately with its lobes ; the 



ovary is Inferior and 1-celled, with sometimes 2 imperfect and aborted 

 cells; the ovule is solitary and pendulous, the style simple, and from 

 1 to 3 stigmas ; the embryo is straight and without albumen, with a 

 superior radicle. These plants are most nearly allied to Diptacea, 

 from which they are distinguished by their looser inflorescence, sensible 

 properties, want of albumen, and the absence of an iuvolucellum. 

 They are more remotely related to Rutiactac. They are natives of 

 temperate climates or elevated positions iu both the Old aud New 

 World. They are more abundant in the north of Asia, Europe, and 

 South America, than iu Africa or North America, [VALBBIAHA; 

 VALERIA NKLI A ; SHKKNARD; NARDOeTACuvs.] 



YALKRIANELLA, a genus of Plants belonging to the natural 

 order Valerianacca. This name is a diminutive of Vatenana, but was 

 rejected by Smith, Hooker, and others, as not being iu accordance 

 with the Linnscau laws of nomenclature ; and accordingly they have 

 described its species under the Adansouian genus 1'cilia. De Candolle, 

 Lindley, and other systematic botanists however still retain Valerian- 

 etta, and confine the genus Fediu to a single species, the !'. cornucopia. 



Valeriantlla consists of annual herbs, with oblong or linear 

 undivided toothed or pinnatifid leaves, and small white solitary or 

 corymbose flowers. The limb of the calyx is toothed and permanent; 

 corolla regular, 5-lobed ; stamens 3 ; stigiua nearly entire or trifid ; 

 fruit 3-celled, membranous, indehiscent It includes about 25 species. 

 Their distinctions are not easily made out, on account of the variable 

 character of the different parts of the plant. De Candolle has divided 

 them into four sub-genera, depending on differences existing between 

 the structure of the fruit, which is sometimes 2-celled and sometimes 

 3-celled ; but only one of the cells ever contains the seed. Varieties in 

 the structure and form of the fertile and sterile cells are the foundation 

 of De Caudolle's sub-genera. Koch, iu his ' Flora Cermanica,' divide* 

 the German and Swiss species, which are oulyeightin number, into four 

 sections, depending principally on the structure of the calyx. Four of 

 the species are British, belonging to three of De Candolle' s sub-genera. 



F. olitoria, Common Corn-Salad, or Lamb's Lettuce, has globose, 

 compressed, inflated, glabrous, oblique, 2-lobed fruit ; the limb of tho 

 calyx almost wanting ; the two sterile cells of the fruit in one pro- 

 duced by an incomplete dissepiment; the flowers capitate; leaves 

 linear, and angles of stem scabrous. This plant is an annual, from 

 four inches to a foot high. It is a native of Europe, in corn-fields and 

 cultivated ground, and is found abundantly in such situations, espe- 

 cially in a light soil in Great Britain. In France and Germany it ia 

 much eaten as a salad, aud is frequently cultivated for that purpose 

 in this country. 



The other British species of the genus arc I*, tlcntata. Smooth 

 Narrow-Fruited Corn-Salad ; V. mixta, Sharp Rough-Fruited Corn- 

 Salad ; V. eriocarpa, Blunt Rough-Fruited Corn-Salad. All the species 

 are innocuous, and may be eaten as salads. 



VALLA'RIS, a genus of PlanU belonging to the natural order 

 Apocynactcc. The species consist of a few twining shrubs, which are 

 found in China, the Indian Islands, and the plains of India, Of these 

 I'. Peryulana, called Echita liircota by Roxburgh, and common in the 

 Indian Peninsula and Archipelago, is remarkable for its offensive goat- 

 like smell ; while I", dichotoma, indigenous in the North- Western Pro- 

 vinces, is remarkable for its agreeable odour. Its leaves are employed 

 there as poultices. 



VALLEY, LILY OF THE, a common name for the Conrallaria 

 majalii. This plant is too well knowu to need description. The 

 genus Convallaria has a bell-shaped (i-parted deciduous perianth ; a 3- 

 celled 2-ovalled ovary ; a blunt trigonous stigma ; berry with 1 -seeded 

 cells; flowers jointed to the pedicel. 



C. majalii, the Lily of the Valley, is about a foot high, with two 

 ovate-lanceolate radical leaves. The flowers are racemose, nodding, 

 pure white, globose, bell-shaped, and fragrant. 



VALLISNE'RIA, a genus of PlanU belonging to the natural order 

 Jlydrucharaccit. The species of this genus are all water-planU. They 

 are dioocious : the male flowers are seated on a spadix ; the corolla is 

 monopeUlous with three segments. The female flowers are included 

 singly in a spathe, and are seated upon a spiral peduncle ; the valyx 

 is composed of a single leaf; the corolla is polypetaloua ; the capsules 

 are 1-celled, many-seeded; the seeds parietal. Several species of 

 Vallitnri-ia have been recorded as growing in Europe, Australia, and 

 America. The economy of these planU is exceedingly iutei-o-tinn in 

 a physiological point of view. They are plants growing at the I 

 of the water, and yet the male and female flowers are separated, aud 

 the mode by which they are brought together affords a singular 

 instance of adaptation. These planU generally grow in running waters, 

 and thus render the difficulty of the contact of their flowers greater. 

 This is effected by the elongated peduncles of the pi-tillifcrous l! 

 reaching the surface of the water when the stauiiuiferous flowers are 

 floating along. The I', ipiralu is found in Italy, in ditches near 

 Pisa, and in the Illume. There are two Australian species, and also 

 an American and East Indian species. The latter is the Jfydritlu* of 

 Dr. Hamilton, and is used in Hindu-tan under the name of Jangi, for 

 the purpose of supplying water mechanically to sugar during the 

 process of refining. ( MOTIONS or PLANTS.] 



VALONIA. IOUF.RCCS.] 



VALVATA. [PAH;DINID/K.] 



VALVE, in Botany, is a term applied to several parts of plant*, 



